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Odisha Bharati Matha Burial Temple
In the olden days, there were Matha Mahanthas in the Hindu religion, who were very devoted and sincere in their profession. According to the Matha history, these Mahantas announced well in advance to the world, about time, date and place of death and goes and sits in that particular place, after appointing their successor, when their time comes. They are sent off after singing songs of praise and the place is buried. Within 15 days of burial, a Shiva lingam with a yoni pitha is constructed. These came to be famously known as the Bharati Matha Burial Temples.
History
This temple belongs to the 11th century AD. These burial temples have very small shrines and are architecturally brilliant. This temple, one of the 9 burial temples has a Shiva Lingam with a yoni pitha at the sanctum sanctorum. Lots of people used to visit the temple for worship earlier as it was considered to be very different and unique from other temples. This is a temple dedicated to the Matha Mahantas as recognition of the Mahanta’s immense contribution to the development of the Hindu religion and played a very important role in the Matha Establishment in the past.
Lots of plants and uncontrollable vegetation have grown all over the temple and the walls of the temple are in a devastated condition. This temple is currently owned by the public. Though it is not a place of worship anymore, it is sometimes used for Hindu pilgrimage purposes currently.
Architecture
This is a group of 9 temples that are small in size and belong to the Kalinga architectural pattern. Grey sandstone was used mainly to build the temple and dry masonry was the technique for building this temple. This temple has a very low platform that measures up to 2 sq.m and is 0.26m tall. The overall temple is 0.86m. This bada division of the temple is triangular patter and has 3 layers which measure 1.53m in height, out of which the pabhaga is 0.34m, jangha is 0.95m and baranda is 0.24m. The gandi, that is 1.68m tall, has three tiers. The mastaka is 0.62m and is made up of beki, ghanta, amalaka and kalasa. The doorjambs are quite plain and they are 1.14m tall and 0.49m wide.
How To Reach
By Air
Bhubaneswar is the nearest main airport which makes the temple easily accessible to tourists from all the other main cities.
By Train
Tourists can get to this temple by train as Bhubaneswar railway station is where they have to get down for visiting the temple.
By Road
There are lots of cars and cab facilities from the main cities like Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri etc. to reach the temple. Alternatively, they can also visit the government’s tourist office for the best options.
Important Shrines
The 9 small shrines of Lord Shiva are a must-see for tourists who love ancient architecture. Though the temples are in a non-functional state, they can be visited for the pure structure and alignment that is uniformly followed in all the 9 temples.
Significance Of The Temple
The unique feature of the temple is that, this is one of the very few temples in the country that is dedicated to the Mahantas, who contributed immensely for the development of the Hindu religion. The Shiva temples were consecrated on top of the Samadhis of these Mahantas, thereby coming to be known as burial temples.
Attraction
Bhubaneswar is a sheer delight for temple lovers as there are number of temples in and around the Bharati Mata Burial temples. The Lingaraja temple is an ancient temple that is in close proximity to these temples. The Astasambhu Siva temples, a group of 8 identical temples dedicated to Lord Siva is also nearby.
Weather And Time To Visit
When it comes to weather, the months of September to November are really pleasant in Bhubaneswar, thereby giving ultimate enjoyment to tourists to appreciate the places better. People who want to visit these temples calmly should not visit during the festivals like Karthika Pournami, Prathamastami, Durga Puja etc. as these are the times when the temple is thronged by huge number of devotees.
Accommodation
The Bhubaneswar government has arranged for lots of accommodation facilities for the huge number of tourists visiting every year, at very affordable rates. These government owned places have found huge favour among tourists, simply because of the high quality at budget friendly rates.
Tips For Devotees
As these are burial temples, devotees should exercise extreme discipline when inside as a mark of respect for the great Mahantas who contributed phenomenally to the Hindu religion.
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